Electric brooder heater



June 4, 1949. K w u BQIS 2,203,215

ELECTRI C BROODER HEATER Filed July 20, 1939 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR KENNETH l/V/NFEL 0 DuBo/s, Y

ATORNEY 5mm 1940. K. w. DU 5015 2,203,215

ELECTRIC BROODER HEATER Filed July 20, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR KEN/w: TH MNF/ 1.0 DuBo/s,

BY I

Patented June 4, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC BROODER HEATER of Connecticut Application July 20, 1939, Serial No. 285,487

9 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for heating broodcrs for small birds or chicks. One object is to provide a simple, compact and completely assembled separable electric unit for heating and ventilating brooders of such a character that it can be readily installed or built into a homemade brooder.

Another object is to provide a heating unit which can be readily regulated or adjusted to automatically maintain the desired temperature.

Another object is to provide a device which is safe and sanitary.

Another object is to provide a device capable of furnishing a properly directed and uniform supply of freshly mixed and heated air.

The best results are provided by the use of an electric resistance heater and an electrically driven fan for circulating fresh air around the heater and delivering it to the inside of the brooder. The fan and heater are both carried by a common support together with a regulator, a heater unit, an attraction light, a pilot light, a junction box and a singleattaching cable for connecting the unit to the operating circuit. The air is circulated in such a way as to prevent the birds from possible contact with the heater or from being injured by overheated air.

The heater is removable and the supply of air can be regulated. The air is circulated through concentric cylinders, the surface of the inner one of which is preferably non-reflecting or may be painted black or given a dark finish so as to absorb radiant heat and prevent overheating of the outer cylinder.

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view on a small scale of one form of brooder showing the invention in side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a plan view on a larger scale of one of the combined heater and regulator units.

Fig. 3 is a view of an air-circulating fan.

Fig. 4 is a detail view showing one form of an airflow control valve.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a switch unit and showing its support in horizontal section.

Fig. 6 is a side view and partial section of a device involving the invention as a unit.

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan View of the device of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail showing a modified form of construction for detachably mounting the heater element in the heater drum.

The hover itself may be of any suitable construction such as might be made for instance by the user. For the purpose of understanding the invention I have illustrated an ordinary fiat-topped hover III with a depending curtain or skirt II provided with supporting legs l2. Such a hover may be of any suitable shape such as circular, square, etc. The improvements involved in this case are all embodied in a single detachable unit having a supporting or base plate I! which is adapted to be securedto the hover for instance by a number of screws such as l5 ing through openings ii in the plate.

The heater has an outer cylindrical or drumlike member II which is detachably supported from the base plate I! by posts such as IB and nuts i9.

Inside of the cylinder i1 is another cylinder also secured to the posts i8 and spaced apart from the cylinder i1 so as to leave an air passage 2|. The top of the cylinder I1 is partially closed by a cover 22 which has an outlet opening 23.

The bottom of the outer cylinder I1 is partially closed by a screen 24 carried by a rim 25 which is detachably secured to the bottom of the drum.

Inside of the inner cylinder 20 is the heater element 26 of any suitable type. This element is detachably mounted in the socket 21 in a conventional manner. This socket is detachably connected to the crosspiece 28 by means of a ring 29 screwed onto the usual socket shell (not shown).

The cross piece 28 is detachably carried by the cylinder either by being secured to the outer portion I! or the inner portion 20. In one form the cross piece 28 is provided with extensions 30, 30 which straddle a portion 3i of the lower edge of the cylinder member 20. Ears 32 are bent inward from the cylindrical member 20 to hold the cross piece 28 in place. Another convenient form of mounting consists in providing the member 28 with an ear 33 at each end detachably secured to the cylinder i! by screw 34.

Above the plate I4 is mounted a motor in the casing 31 having a shaft 38 on the lower end of which is mounted a centrifugal fan 39 immediately above the outlet 23 from the heater drum. The size of the outlet 23 may be adjusted by means of a valve or shutter consisting of parts 40, 40 hinged at H and provided with finger pieces 42.

A junction box 44 is mounted on the plate [4. The electrical connections to the device are eifected through the cable 45 which extends into this junction box. A pilot lamp 46 is preferably mounted on this junction box for indicating when the current is on. Another lamp 41 is mounted on the lower side of the junction box for providing what is commonly called an attraction light within the hover.

A suitable form of snap switch of any suitable type is mounted in the channel piece 5| which is supported at one side of the drum l1. Conductors 52 are led from the junction box 44 through the bushing 53 into the channel 54 and thence to the switch 50 and to the heaterp A cover plate 55 may be provided secured to the channel 54 for instance by a screw 56 so as to protect the conductors but allow access in case of necessity. The switch is detachably secured in the channel 5| by screws 57 and is provided with an operating button 58 which projects above the upper surface of the insulating body of the switch.

An expansion type thermostatic device 60 is carried by the rod BI and its lower surface engages the switch button 58 so that when the thermostatic device expands and contracts, the

' switch is operated in the usual manner to turn on and off the current to the heater,,and to the pilot light. This rod BI is screw threaded in a bushing 62 carried by the base plate I4. This rod 6| is also provided with a finger piece 63 so that the rod may be adjusted up and down to regulate the temperature at which the thermostatic device will be actuated. A clamp nut 64 is provided on the rod 6| to lock it in the proper place.

When the current is turned on the resistance element of the heater 26 is heated and this heats the air within the inner drum 20 and causes the current of air to rise through the opening 23 where it is driven outwardly by the action of the fan 39 so as to spread the heated air throughout the upper part of the hover. Air is thus drawn in at the bottom of the heater unit and circulated through the heater and ultimately forced out beneath or through the curtain or other outlets. An auxiliary cover 65 may be suitably mounted if desired on the top of the hover to protect the motor, lamp, and associated parts.

My improved heating unit can be used with any of the conventional types of home-made hovers of a general box shape preferably having legs and a curtain around the edges. The unit is so compact and takes up so little space and is so easily mounted that one or more can be used with a minimum of trouble and interference. The mounting of the unit necessitates only a small opening in the top of the conventional type of hover and this opening need not be cut accurately because of the rather large top plate of the unit. It can of course be used with either a metal or wooden hover or with a rectangular or circular shaped one as desired.

The pilot lamp is wired so as to be on when the heater is on to indicate that the device is in use, and the attraction light is always in circuit as long as the main current source is supplied with current.

The fan is preferably of the centrifugal type and throws air outwardly or laterally from the space between the top plate of the heating cylinder to the space beneath the hover, which air is replaced by fresh air drawn in from the outside through the motor shaft hole and the heated air is drawn upwardly and through the cylinders to be mixed with the fresh air from the outside.

The cylinder is made with an inner and an outer Wall with a space therebetween so that moving air will pass through this space and prevent the outer wall from becoming dangerously overheated. The outer surface of the inner wall is preferably non-reflecting for instance by being painted black or otherwise given a dark finish so as to absorb radiant heat.

Closing the bottom of the cylinder II with the screen 24 provides the maximum space for the circulating air and protects the chicks from coming into contact with the heater coil.

I claim:

1. In an electric heating unit for brooders, a motor member, a fan member operatively connected to said motor, a heating coil member and a cylindrical heater member around said coll, a common support for said members, said heater member having an outer wall and an inner wall with a space therebetween and having an open top end, said fan member being disposed above and adjacent said open top end and in alignment with said cylindrical member whereby air is drawn upwardly between said walls.

2. In an electric heating unit for brooders, a

motor, a fan operatively connected to said motor, a heating coil and a heater member around said coil, said member having an outer wall and an inner wall with a space therebetween and having an open top end and an open bottom end, said fan being disposed above and adjacent said open top end and in alignment with said heater member whereby air is drawn upwardly between said walls and a screen on the bottom open end of said heater member.

3. In an electric heating-unit for brooders, a supporting plate for mounting in. a hover, a

motor on the plate, a two part cylindrical mem-- ber suspended from the plate and having an open top end, said member having an outer cyl inder and an inner cylinder with a space between the opposed walls of the cylinders, the outer walls of the inner cylinder having a non-reflecting surface, a fan positioned axially of the cylindrical member and between the open top end of said member and said plate and a heating coil in said cylindrical member inside of said inner cylinder.

4. In an electric heating unit for brooders, a plate, a motor on the plate, a heater drum member suspended from the plate and having an open top end and an open bottom end, said member having an outer Wall and an inner wall with a space therebetween, a fan positioned above said member and between the open top end of said member and said plate, a heating coil in said drum member inside of said inner wall and thermostatically controlled means for turning the current on or off to said coil.

5. In combination with a hover having a roof with an opening therein, an electric motor on said roof with its shaft protruding through said opening and inwardly of the hover, a cylindrical member under said roof and in alignment with said shaft and spaced from the roof and having an open top end, a fan on the protruding end of said shaft in the space between the roof and cylindrical member and adjacent the openings in the plate and top end of the cylindrical member for drawing air through said openings, a heating coil in said cylindrical member and a shutter device for controlling the flow of air.

. 6. In an electric heating unit for brooders, a plate having an opening, a motor on the plate having its shaft protruding through said opening, a cylindrical member supported by said plate below and in spaced relationship therewith, said member having an outer wall and an inner wall with a space therebetween and having an open top end, a fan on the protruding end of said shaft in the space between said plate and cylindrical member and positioned adjacent and in alignment with the opening in said plate and theopening in the top end of said cylindrical member whereby air is drawn through said openings into the fan space and a heating coil in said cylindrical member inside of. the inner wall.

'7. An electric heating unit for brooders including a plate, a cylinder suspended from said plate and having an open upper end and an open lower end, a heating coil in the cylinder, a motor on the plate with it's shaft axially disposed of the cylinder and protruding through the opening in the plate, a fan on the protruding end of said shaft and adjacent the upper open end of the cylinder and below the plate, a junction box on the plate adjacent the motor and having operative means of connection with a source of current, switching mechanism on said cylinder operatively connected to the junction box and having a movable member, a thermostatically operated device suspended from said plate and adapted to engage the movable member of said switching mechanism and means for adjusting said thermostatically operated device.

8. An electric heating unit for brooders including a plate, a heater drum suspended from said plate and having an open upper end and an open lower end, a resistance heater within the drum, a motor on the plate with its shaft axially disposed of the drum and protruding through the opening in the plate, a fan on the protruding end of said shaft and adjacent the upper open end of the drum and below the plate, a junction box on the plate adjacent the motor and having operative means of. connection with a source of current, a lamp socket on the junction box above the plate, another lamp socket below the plate, switching mechanism on said drum operatively connected to the junction box and a thermostatically operated device suspended from said plate and adapted to actuate said switching mechanism.

9. In an electric heating unit for brooders, a supporting plate for mounting in a hover, a motor on the plate, a cylindrical member suspended from the plate and having an open top end, said member having an outer wall and a blackened inner wall with a space between the walls, a fan positioned axially of said member and between the open top end of said member and said plate and a heating coil in said cylindrical member inside of said inner wall.

KENNETH WINFIELD DU B018. 

